ETSU trustees hear TRIO director describe program's reach; alumni testify to role in college access

Dr. Ronnie Gross, ETSU's director of TRIO programs, told the Board of Trustees the university hosts all seven federally funded TRIO programs and has brought in more than $59,000,000 in federal support while serving thousands across the region. He said TRIO targets low-income and first-generation students through a pipeline of services for middle school, high school, college students, adults and veterans and reported program outcomes such as 73% postsecondary enrollment for Talent Search participants and a 57% six-year bachelor's graduation rate for Upward Bound cohorts.

"Two thirds of our students in our programs are low income and first generation," Gross said, describing TRIO's role in providing advising, tutoring, mentoring and assistance completing financial aid forms. He said the programs operate across multiple counties and school systems, run veteran-specific services that reach roughly 125 veterans a year, and recently added a STEM- and Health-Sciences-focused Student Support Services grant.

Alumnus Holland Boyd, a U.S. Army veteran and second-year ETSU finance major, told the board he would not be at ETSU without TRIO. "Student support services and veteran Upward Bound programs have helped me phenomenally," Boyd said, crediting faculty and staff who provided tutoring, mentoring and scholarship support after a serious car accident.

Steven Hendricks, faculty in the Department of Computing and a past Faculty Senate president, recounted being admitted to Upward Bound in 1995 and said the summer residential curriculum and an introductory web-design class changed his trajectory. "If it were not for the hard work and the dedication of Dr. Ronnie Gross and others through Upward Bound, I would not be standing here today," Hendricks said.

Board members heard that TRIO's services include peer tutoring, faculty mentoring, academic and career coaching, and help navigating financial aid and enrollment. Gross offered to respond to trustee questions and acknowledged the many university offices ' from marketing to sponsored programs ' that support TRIO grant operations.

The presentation concluded with trustees thanking the speakers and moving on to the president's update.